Do I owe ex tenant compensation?

[viper91]

I had a house in Florida that I was renting out. We had a year long lease signed several years ago that we let go month to month. Not on paper though I told my ex tenant that he could stay until I retired, which was when I planned on moving back into the house. About two years ago I told him I expected that it to be at a minimum 5 more years until I retired. The state forced me to sell my house. My ex tenant contacted me mad because the state is forcing him out and not compensating him much. My ex tenant thinks I owe him more money since I didn't keep my promise and got a big payday (not really because I now need to buy a new house). He thinks he should be compensated for a 3 year lease (the remaining time he expected to be able to live there ) instead of for a month to month lease.

 

[Just Blue]

I had a house in Florida that I was renting out. We had a year long lease signed several years ago that we let go month to month. Not on paper though I told my ex tenant that he could stay until I retired, which was when I planned on moving back into the house. About two years ago I told him I expected that it to be at a minimum 5 more years until I retired. The state forced me to sell my house. My ex tenant contacted me mad because the state is forcing him out and not compensating him much. My ex tenant thinks I owe him more money since I didn't keep my promise and got a big payday (not really because I now need to buy a new house). He thinks he should be compensated for a 3 year lease (the remaining time he expected to be able to live there ) instead of for a month to month lease.

Why did the state force you to sell the house?

 

[Zigner]

Tell him to talk to the owner of the house.

 

[quincy]

An answer to Blue’s question would be nice as would telling us why the state is compensating your tenant for anything.

Is this a matter of eminent domain, where the state takes private property for a public use, or was your house condemned?

I don’t see that you owe your tenant anything.

 

[viper91]

Why did the state force you to sell the house?

To expand a road

 

[viper91]

An answer to Blue’s question would be nice as would telling us why the state is compensating your tenant for anything.

Is this a matter of eminent domain, where the state takes private property for a public use, or was your house condemned?

Eminent domain. They’re going to expand the road next to the house.

The state apparently compensates renters who have to move based on what their lease is or so I’ve been told.

 

[Zigner]

Tell your former tenant to talk to their new landlord. You may also wish to advise your former tenant to read the first chapter or so of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (or just watch the first few minutes of the movie) so that the futility of the request is better understood.

 

[Zigner]

Eminent domain. They’re going to expand the road next to the house.

The state apparently compensates renters who have to move based on what their lease is or so I’ve been told.

You didn't have a specific term lease with your former tenant. The lease was month-to-month.

 

[quincy]

You would not owe your tenant anything. The tenant was month-to-month. There could not be a legal three-year lease unless it was in writing.

 

[Zigner]

You may wish to have your former tenant read https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2023/0689.01 to better understand why they never had a lease for more than one year.

 

[Zigner]

You would not owe your tenant anything. The tenant was month-to-month. There could not be a legal three-year lease unless it was in writing.

AND signed in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

 

[quincy]

I hope Florida compensated you well enough for your house that you can find another comparable home in the same area (if that area is where you wanted to/want to retire).

I know in Michigan there was a law enacted years ago to prohibit the use of eminent domain for economic development, this after the state took possession of several homes to allow for a private company to build a factory. The compensation the homeowners received from the state was not enough to allow these homeowners to purchase another home anywhere in their hometown.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Eminent domain. They’re going to expand the road next to the house.

The state apparently compensates renters who have to move based on what their lease is or so I’ve been told.

The others are far too polite.

Tell him to pound sand.

Seriously, it's not as though you have any control of the situation. At least move out is more predictable than if the area was levelled by a Category 4 hurricane.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Eminent domain. They’re going to expand the road next to the house.

The state apparently compensates renters who have to move based on what their lease is or so I’ve been told.

That's part of what is required when the state takes private property for public use. The U.S. Constitution requires the government to compensate people when it takes property for public use. Because it was taken by eminent domain you'd not owe your tenant for breach of contract. That's something that you couldn't do anything about. The one exception to this that comes to my mind would be if you already knew of the pending action by the state at the time you made the contract, if indeed what was said between would have enough to form a contract in the first place. The tenant either doesn't understand how eminent domain works or is just hoping to get you to give up some cash. I suggest you simply cut off any further communication with the former tenant. If the former tenant files a lawsuit over this that's the time to go and see an attorney. My experience with people who make a lot noise about suing another person when there no evidence to support the claim is that they don't file the lawsuit. That would just end up costing the tenant money just to get the matter dismissed. They just try to shake money out of people who don't know the law and are afraid of being sued. If that doesn't work, they just move on to something else.

 

[quincy]

The others are far too polite. ...

Well, THAT is not something we are accused of often. Haha.

... At least move out is more predictable than if the area was levelled by a Category 4 hurricane.

And with a hurricane, you generally don’t get to walk away from it with all of your belongings.